By Joseph Mary Buwule
The police have arrested 22 people at Mijumwa trading centre in Wakyato Subcounty, Nakaseke District in cnnectin with dealing wild life products.
They also recovered an assortment of suspected wildlife-hunting gear and wildlife products.
Savannah Region Police spokesperson, Mr Sam Twiineamazima, said the suspects were intercepted on August 17 when a police patrol team conducted an intelligence–led motorised night patrol in the area.
“A white Toyota Hiace taxi was intercepted with 22 occupants. Inside the vehicle, the police recovered suspected hunting gear that included pangas, spears, hunting nets, knives, plant roots and leaves, smoked and fresh suspected wild meat, three pairs of Oribi horns, 5-bush back and porcupine quills,” he said.
He disclosed that a case of unlawful possession of wildlife species has been opened against the 22-suspects while a detailed investigation in relation to activities involving the suspects’ conduct and earlier activity is ongoing.
The suspects will be transferred to the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court in line with the specified charges once the investigation is complete, the Police told the publication.
According to the Uganda Wildlife Act 2019, unauthorised possession of wildlife products, specimens or illegal hunting gear is a criminal offence, and culprits, if proven guilty, are culpable of prescribed penalties including long prison sentences as guided by Courts of Law.
While authorities were yet to verify if the recovered wildlife exhibits, including the suspected smoked and fresh wild meat among other wild animal exhibits, were from areas of Nakaseke District, the Country continues to record cases involving poachers and persons suspected of dealing in wildlife animal species.
In June 2026, two people were arrested in the eastern District of Kapelebyong in possession of ivory suspected to have been sourced from young elephants within the areas of Karamoja Sub-region.
In February 2026, another suspect identified as Francis Opira was found in possession of 154 Kilograms of raw elephant tusks in Nwoya District.
Sources from the Uganda Wildlife Authority reveal that some of the suspected poachers exploit Uganda’s porous borders to smuggle out protected animal products, including animal tusks, among other products.
In October 2025, a poacher identified as Albert Oyirwoth was sentenced to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to unlawful entry, hunting and possessing five Buffalo heads inside the Murchison Falls National Park.